Department for Transport

Roads Policing Review

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to respond to the responses to the call for evidence for the Roads Policing Review, published on 13 July 2020.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The call for evidence saw 149 responses submitted, many of which were incredibly detailed. We will publish once we have given the responses our full consideration.

Leader of the House of Lords

Question

Lord Tyrie: To ask the Leader of the House,  further to the statistics in House of Lords Business on Thursday 16 December which show that the Department of Health and Social Care had 56 written parliamentary questions that had not been answered in 10 working days, more than any other department, what discussions she has had with the department about improving their responsiveness to parliamentary scrutiny through Questions for Written Answer.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers and departments to provide full, timely and comprehensive answers to Questions for Written Answers. The Department for Health and Social Care received 1206 QWAs in 2021 compared to 599 in 2019, and have doubled the size of the relevant team to deal with the increased work and pressure.My office approach departments who have not responded to questions after 10 working days, and remain in contact with them until the questions are answered. This process has been followed with the Department of Health and Social Care, and my office will continue to work with the department during this busy period to ensure prompt responses to all Questions for Written Answers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide greater (1) powers, and (2) funding, to (a) local, and (b) city, authorities to enable homes to be retrofitted more quickly.

Lord Callanan: The Government is working closely with local authorities as they are best placed to understand how to deliver home retrofits for the betterment of their local communities. The Government has committed more than £6.6bn in this Parliament to make energy efficiency updates to homes as well as community buildings such as schools, hospitals and leisure centres. Schemes such as the Home Upgrade Grant, the Local Authority Delivery Scheme and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund are being delivered through local authorities. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published a list of participating Local Authorities in England.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have of the decision by the government of Switzerland to pass their contracted doses of the Moderna vaccine to the COVAX scheme; and what plans they have, if any, to do the same.

Lord Callanan: Continued collective global efforts will be crucial to address vaccine inequities. The UK has worked from the start of the pandemic to support equitable access, helping to establish a COVAX to support both higher- and lower-income countries secure the vaccines they need. We invested approximately £71 million to help COVAX secure early supply deals with manufacturers and donated £548 million to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment to support the procurement of vaccines for lower and middle-income economies, making the UK one of the earliest and largest COVAX donors. The UK Government through Vaccines Taskforce proactively manages its vaccine supply so that all procured doses are either used rapidly by our domestic programme or shared internationally. This is as per our commitment at the G7 to donate 100 million doses by the end of June 2022, with 30m by the end of 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to withdraw vaccines promised to the COVAX scheme to supply the UK’s vaccine booster programme; and what assessment they have made of the effect of such a step on the COVAX scheme.

Lord Callanan: We have already secured the doses we need for everyone in the UK who requires a booster this Autumn/Winter. The UK has an excellent track record in securing steady supply and delivery of Covid-19 vaccines. We are in regular contact with the vaccine manufacturers and are confident in our vaccine supplies for our domestic vaccination programmes. Our G7 commitment to share 100m doses to those countries that most need them and to split this 80/20 between COVAX and bilateral donations still stands. We have set out how we will meet 70% of this target and are confident in meeting 30m by the end of 2021 as per our announcement at the G20 on 30 October.

Hydrogen: Ministerial Responsibility

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to create a Minister for Hydrogen.

Lord Callanan: My Rt Hon. Friend Minister Hands clearly has hydrogen within his portfolio. The appointment of Ministers is a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Hydrogen: Exports

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate the development of a hydrogen export market in the UK.

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the role of hydrogen technology in the UK’s export strategy.

Lord Callanan: The Hydrogen Strategy makes clear the government wants to position UK companies at the forefront of the growing global hydrogen market, and analysis suggests that around a quarter of new UK jobs in the hydrogen sector by 2030 could be driven by exports. UK companies are already leading the way by exporting fuel cell and electrolyser technologies and engineering services, and we want to expand on this to capture economic benefits. BEIS, DIT, UK Export Finance and others are working to identify high value opportunities for UK companies and to promote them globally. We will set out more on our approach in a Hydrogen Sector Development Action Plan in 2022.

Hydrogen

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to finalise business models for hydrogen; and when any such business models will be published.

Lord Callanan: The Government has consulted on a business model to provide revenue support needed to stimulate investment in hydrogen projects. The Government is currently analysing stakeholder responses to the consultation and aims to publish a response in the first quarter of 2022 with a view to finalising the business model later in the year.

Oil: Exports

Baroness Hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Callanan on 2 December (HL Deb, col 1458), how much oil from the proposed development at Cambo is predicted to be exported; and whether future exports will be considered when deciding on planning consent for the Cambo oil field.

Lord Callanan: No decision has yet been made regarding the proposed Cambo field.

Natural Gas and Oil: Exports

Baroness Hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what countries North Sea oil and gas are exported to; and what quantity is exported to each country.

Lord Callanan: Export destinations of primary oils are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 3.10.Export destinations of natural gas are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 4.5. To note, the UK records exports of crude oil and natural gas but does not separately identify oil and gas that was originally extracted from the UKCS. Exports shown will include oil and gas produced in the North Sea as well as oil and gas that originated elsewhere and has subsequently been re- exported. DUKES Table 3.10 (xls, 263.5KB)DUKES Table 4.5 (xls, 117.0KB)

Natural Gas and Oil: Exports

Baroness Hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what quantity of oil and gas is (1) exported from, and (2) imported to, the UK annually, for each different classification of those substances.

Lord Callanan: Imports and exports of primary oil are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 3.1.Imports and exports of petroleum products are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 3.2.Imports and exports of natural gas are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 4.1.DUKES TABLE 3.1 (xls, 419.5KB)DUKES TABLE 3.2-3.4 (xls, 693.5KB)DUKES TABLE 4.1 (xls, 158.5KB)

Electricity Generation: Weather

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the process for claiming compensation for losses from power outages caused by Storm Arwen for (1) households, and (2) businesses.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem, the independent regulator for the UK’s energy networks, sets service levels which Distribution Network Operators must meet, with rules on how and when compensation payments are issued to consumers if the standards are not met. This is set out in the Quality of Service Guaranteed Standards. Customers should contact their Electricity Distribution Network Operator to claim any compensation that they are entitled to. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to Ofgem and the Electricity Distribution Network Operators to set an expectation that compensation should be paid as soon as possible given the length of the disruption to power supplies.

Electric Cables

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the resilience of overhead power cables and the case for moving these wires underground.

Lord Callanan: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for system resilience, including physical infrastructure, as well as communications, resourcing. As the independent regulator for energy, Ofgem has also announced a review into the impact of Storm Arwen. This will focus on the role of the network companies in maintaining resilience of the system, which includes physical infrastructure, and their emergency response.

Department of Health and Social Care

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to coordinate health restrictions on travel (1) within Europe, and (2) more widely.

Lord Kamall: We are frequently reviewing new intelligence, including measures introduced by other countries. G7 Health Ministers met on 29 November to discuss developments related to the Omicron variant.The UK Health Security Agency continues to monitor the situation in partnership with scientific and public health organisations across the world, including working with the countries currently on the United Kingdom’s ‘red list’ to understand the virus and possible mitigations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce new COVID-19 booster jabs every six to nine months to respond to new strains.

Lord Kamall: At present, it is not known whether recurrent COVID-19 boosters will be required in the long term or to tackle new strains as more data is required. We will continue to be informed by the independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI will review the available data on the durability of protection from the vaccines against severe COVID-19 infection in all age groups and will develop further advice in due course.

Travel: Quarantine

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average level of subsidy per person they provide to hotels to quarantine travellers entering the UK from red list countries; and what steps they take to ensure value for money.

Lord Kamall: From February to October 2021, the average level of subsidy per person to provide a managed quarantine service was 53%. During the period there was a decrease in number of destinations on the ‘red list’, therefore the number of hotel rooms for quarantine was reduced to reflect the lower demand from passengers and deliver better value for money.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk presented to UK citizens by low vaccine rates in low income countries.

Lord Kamall: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made a specific assessment of the overall risk presented by low vaccine rates in low-income countries. However, the UKHSA produces regular assessments of the risk presented to the United Kingdom by travellers from other countries and nations. Assessment of vaccination coverage in low income countries forms part of these individual country risk assessments, including the risk/threat to public health in the UK. These risk assessments are used by Ministers to decide on border security measures, such as ‘red listing’.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many communitydiagnostic hubs per million people they plan to create; and what steps are they taking to ensure that respiratory diagnostic tests will be a core part of their function.

Lord Kamall: Following the announcement of £2.3 billion of capital investment in diagnostic services in the recent Spending Review, the National Health Service plans to establish at least 100 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) over the next three years, or approximately 1.8 per million people. This is based on the recommendations of Professor Sir Mike Richards’ review, which recommended establishing 165 CDCs or three per million people in England.The core specification for CDCs includes a range of respiratory diagnostics, including lung function testing. In addition, local integrated care systems will be able to supplement these with additional services for respiratory patients according to local needs.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many community diagnostic hubs per million people they intend to introduce; and how they intend to ensure that respiratory diagnostic tests will be a core part of their function in all instances.

Lord Kamall: The National Health Service is planning at least 100 community diagnostic centres (CDC) in the next three years, or approximately 1.8 per million population. This is based on the recommendation of Professor Sir Mike Richards’ review to establish 165 CDCs or three per million in England.The core specification for CDCs includes a range of respiratory diagnostics, including lung function testing. In addition, local integrated care systems will be able to supplement these with additional services for respiratory patients according to local need.

Disease Control: International Cooperation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’s COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic, published on 12 May, and (2) the proposal by the governments of South Africa and Pakistan for publicly funded epidemic protections.

Lord Kamall: The findings and recommendations of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) and the other review processes have informed the United Kingdom’s positions on strengthening pandemic preparedness and response. We are taking a leading role on reform of the global health architecture through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board and the G7 presidency. This includes many of the recommendations made by the IPPPR, such as working with international partners on a proposal for a Pandemic Treaty, implementing a stronger early warning system and reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases through better surveillance. We welcome proposals to improve pandemic preparedness and response from all states, including any proposal from South Africa and Pakistan. We will assess these when formally received, including through the World Health Assembly, the WHO Executive Board or the Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies.

NHS: Coronavirus

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the consequences will be for frontline NHS staff who refuse to get vaccinated by 1 April 2022.

Lord Kamall: We continue to encourage all National Health Service staff to become vaccinated to help protect themselves, their colleagues and the people they care for. Over 92% of NHS staff have now done so.The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment)(Coronavirus)(No.2) Regulations set out that a person who is unvaccinated again COVID-19 must not be deployed in the provision of Care Quality Commission-regulated activity subject to certain conditions. In instances where staff choose not to be vaccinated there may be an option, on a case by case basis, to move into a non-patient facing role.

Hospital Beds

Lord Owen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average bed occupancy in NHS hospitals in England per year for the last 30 years for which figures are available.

Lord Kamall: Data on the average bed occupancy in National Health Service hospitals in England in each year is held from 2010/11 onwards and is shown in the following table.Year Total bed occupancy General and acute bed occupancy2010/11 85.4% 87.1%2011/12 85.3% 86.9%2012/13 86.2% 88.0%2013/14 86.3% 88.0%2014/15 87.2% 89.0%2015/16 87.2% 88.9%2016/17 88.3% 90.3%2017/18 88.2% 90.3%2018/19 88.0% 90.1%2019/20 88.0% 90.2%2020/21 76.0% 76.6%2021/22 84.8% 86.5% Source: NHS EnglandNote: Data for 2021/ 22 includes figures from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.

Immunotherapy

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the NHS in England is monitoring the health outcomes of patients who no longer fit the new eligibility criteria for immunoglobulin use.

Lord Kamall: Clinicians are responsible for the ongoing monitoring and assessment of the health of their patients, using processes such as annual reviews and outpatient face-to-face or virtual appointments. Sub-regional immunoglobulin assessment panels provide oversight and scrutiny for all patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy.

Department for Education

Schools Commissioner

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of their time that each of the eight Regional Schools Commissioners spend supporting maintained schools.

Baroness Barran: Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) and their teams spend around 10-15% of their time directly supporting maintained schools through brokering school improvement support and facilitating the transfer of a maintained school into a multi academy trust, for example.RSCs and their teams also work closely with local authorities on their wider support for maintained schools, for example through advice on COVID-19 guidance and ensuring there are sufficient school places.

Further Education: Finance

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ 2021 Annual Report on Education Spending in England, published on 30 November; and in particular the finding that, even with additional funding announced in the Spending Review, college spending per pupil in 2024–25 will be around ten per cent below 2010–11 levels, while school sixth-form spending per pupil will be 23 per cent below 2010–11 levels.

Baroness Barran: The 2021 Spending Review delivered a very positive settlement for 16-19 education, providing much needed support for our excellent colleges and school sixth forms. It has made available an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in financial year 2024-25 compared with financial year 2021-22.This follows the extra £691 million allocated in the previous two years, an additional £291 million in financial year 2021-22 and £400 million from the 2019 Spending Review. These two increases have allowed the government to increase and maintain the base rate of funding from £4,000 to £4,188 in academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22, for all providers of 16-19 education, including colleges and school sixth forms. Over and above this base rate figure, the government has made further funding increases targeted on high value and high cost programmes as well as providing additional funding to support those on level 3 programmes to continue to study English and mathematics where needed. As a result, the average total programme funding per 16-19 student has increased more significantly than the base rate, from £4,516 in academic year 2019/20[1] to £4,994 in academic year 2021/221.The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ 2021 Annual Report recognises that funding will increase further, estimating that as a result of the additional funding in the 2021 Spending Review, total spending per student in 16–18 education is set to rise by 6% in real terms between financial years 2021–22 and 2024–25.The department will set out details of how the additional funding from the 2021 Spending Review settlement will be allocated in due course.[1] This calculation is based on published allocations, taking the amount of Total Programme Funding allocated, divided by the total number of students in each academic year, at providers receiving programme funding. Some institutions receive only high needs funding, and their students are not included in this calculation.

Students: Fees and Charges

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require universities to provide partial refunds of tuition fees to students who are affected by the disruptions caused by industrial action.

Baroness Barran: The quality of higher education and the learning and opportunities it offers for students are priorities for this government.The government believes that students should be at the heart of the higher education system. Therefore, we set up the Office for Students (OfS) to regulate the higher education sector in England, protect student rights and ensure the sector is delivering real value for money.The OfS expects providers to do all they can to avoid disruption for students. Prior to these strikes starting, the OfS wrote to universities outlining how they will uphold standards and protect student interests. They have made clear that they expect universities to abide by the conditions of registration, maintain the delivery of higher education and minimise disruption to students in the event of any industrial action. The OfS also highlighted providers’ obligations under consumer protection law in relation to the impact of industrial action. The OfS published a statement about its expectations of providers during industrial action, available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/ofs-responds-to-industrial-action/Higher education providers are independent, autonomous institutions responsible for their own decisions about the terms and conditions of employment and pensions. The Pensions Regulator is currently working with the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Universities UK and a range of other stakeholders as they work to find a long-term solution to the funding challenges faced by the USS.We expect higher education providers to consider their obligations under consumer law and students’ consumer rights carefully, including during industrial action. This includes ensuring that a range of appropriate remedies and mitigations are available, which may include financial compensation, to prevent and minimise the effects of any strike action upon their students.If students have concerns, they can complain through their provider’s complaints process. If they are unhappy with the outcome, students have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). The OIA has published a briefing note about its approach to complaints by students affected by the industrial action, available here: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/resources-and-publications/briefing-notes/oia-briefing-note-complaints-arising-from-strike-action/. The OIA has also published case summaries relating to industrial action complaints they have handled, available here: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/resources-and-publications/case-summaries/.On 19 April 2021, the OIA announced the introduction of new rules to streamline the Large Groups Complaints process. This should help the OIA to manage similar complaints from large groups of students from a single higher education provider, allowing complaints to be considered collectively and for individual complaints to be added to a larger group.

Adoption Support Fund

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they can offer families who are (1) currently receiving therapeutic support via the Adoption Support Fund; and (2) who are in the process of applying to receive therapeutic support via the Adoption Support Fund, that they will be able to access the fund beyond March 2022, and for as long as necessary.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 21 July (HL1838), what assessment they have made of the recommendation in Adoption UK’s report Adoption Barometer, published on 29 June,for a ten-year commitment to the Adoption Support Fund in England.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce the allocation of the Adoption Support Fund for March 2022 onwards.

Baroness Barran: Adoption is a priority for this government. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) plays a vital part in our approach to enabling and stabilising adoptions. Now that the Spending Review has concluded, the department is undertaking the business planning process to finalise the allocation of the departmental budget. The department will announce the conclusion of this planning and what this means for the ASF as soon as possible. As the department has done in previous years, we have committed some funding for the 2022-23 financial year in advance of business planning finalisation. In cases where therapy packages have been agreed and started in the 2021-22 financial year, families will be able to access support beyond March 2022.The department is aware that the ASF has a significant and positive impact on the families that can access the important support it funds. It is important to get this right for these families and so the department is carefully considering Adoption UK’s Adoption Barometer report recommendations. The department is also considering other evidence on the ASF gathered from interested organisations, as we carry the business planning process to finalise the allocation of the departmental budget.

Schools: Swimming

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of schools in England do not offer swimming lessons to their pupils.

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of schools that charge for swimming lessons which are part of the curriculum.

Baroness Barran: The department does not collect data from schools on swimming lesson provision to pupils. All schools in receipt of the primary PE and sport premium are required to publish information on the percentage of their pupils in year 6 who met each of the three swimming and water safety national curriculum expectations.The department has published guidance to schools and local authorities on charging for school activities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charging-for-school-activities. The guidance makes clear that schools cannot charge for education provided in school hours or education provided outside of school hours where it is part of the national curriculum. The department has not made an assessment of schools that charge for swimming lessons.Schools receive general funding for all curriculum provision including PE (and by extension swimming and water safety lessons). This funding is not ringfenced or split by subject and schools have the flexibility to allocate their funding to deliver a diverse curriculum which best suits the needs of all the students.

Children in Care

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have been adopted from a care setting (1) in England, and (2) an equivalent form of care outside England, in each year from 2010 to 2020.

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the differences to educational entitlements between children adopted from a care setting in England and those adopted from an equivalent form of care outside of England; and what approach, if any, they are taking to address these differences.

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have conducted with local authoritiesabout their intention to eliminate differences in educational entitlements between children adopted from a care setting in England and those adopted from an equivalent form of care outside England; and what, if any, results have arisen from these discussions.

Baroness Barran: The department collects and publishes data on the number of children looked after in local authority care in England. The latest figures are published in our annual statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. Information on the number of children looked after who were adopted during the year between 2010 and 2020 is in Table H1: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/9f60e85a-74b8-44b8-7ed5-08d962ee4bef. This is the first release of data covering the time period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information on the number of children who have been adopted from a care setting outside England is not collected by the department.We recognise children adopted from care, including those adopted from care overseas, can remain vulnerable and have high levels of need. We are committed to ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in education.In September 2018, we introduced new duties on local authority virtual school heads and designated teachers to promote the educational achievement of pupils who are no longer looked after because they are the subject of an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order. This includes support for children who have been adopted from outside of England.The school admissions code has recently been amended so that, as of 1 September 2021, children adopted from state care outside of England have the same priority in school admission as children who were previously looked after in England. The school admissions code is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.We recognise that children adopted from outside England and Wales do not currently attract pupil premium plus. The department is aware of this issue and is actively exploring whether pupil premium plus can be extended to these children. In the meantime, schools should support the needs of all pupils, regardless of whether they are eligible to attract pupil premium plus, as support from schools is not contingent on receipt of this funding.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Iraq: Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ask participants at the 26th conference of State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to investigate reports of Turkish Forces using (1) tabun, and (2) other poisonous gases, in the Behdinan region of Iraq.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Kingdom opposes the use of chemical weapons in all circumstances. We take any credible evidence of the use of chemical weapons very seriously. We have been monitoring the recent allegations of chemical weapons use in northern Iraq but the allegations remain unsubstantiated. Any evidence should be shared with States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and provided through appropriate channels to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Technical Secretariat. Recent violent protests in connection with these allegations targeting the OPCW headquarters in The Hague were deeply concerning.We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians. We welcome discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terrorist group, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The Foreign Secretary discussed the stability of Iraq and the KRI with KRI President, Nechirvan Barzani, during his visit to London of 15-17 September.

Ministry of Defence

Iraq: Armed Forces

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British troops are serving in Iraq; and in what capacity such troops are serving.

Baroness Goldie: At the request of the Iraqi Government, 151 personnel are deployed to Iraq in support of the Global Coalition against Daesh.UK personnel are deployed in an 'advise, assist, enable' capacity, serving in support of the Iraqi Security Forces to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh.

3rd (United Kingdom) Division: Deployment

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to The Integrated Review 2021, published on 16 March, what will be the level of readiness of the 3rd (UK) Division; and how many days would it take for at least one manoeuvre brigade to be deployed in an operational theatre outside of the European mainland.

Baroness Goldie: The Army is always ready to fulfil the task of protecting the nation and holds various people and units at different readiness, along with the equipment and stocks required to support them, to enable us to compete against our adversaries, tackle threats at source and reassure allies.I am unable to disclose further details of the level of readiness of the 3rd (UK) Division, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our Armed Forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

Workplace Pensions

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage employers to calculatetheir gender pension contributions gap in order to compare this to their gender pay gap data.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: In 2017, the government introduced regulations requiring large employers to publish the differences in average salaries and bonuses for men and women. The regulations have helped to motivate employers; placing the gender pay gap at the top of the agenda and prompting conversations within businesses about workplace equality. Employers are now focussed on understanding and tackling the causes of the gaps in their organisations. Reporting has been a vital part of getting everyone to take the first step. Alongside this, the government is continuing to work closely with employers, their representative bodies and regulators to build understanding on this issue.

Social Security Benefits and State Retirement Pensions: Christmas Bonus

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many letters they are sending this year to the recipients of the state pension and other eligible benefits informing them of the annual £10 Christmas bonus; and what is the cost of such letters.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The vast majority of Christmas Bonus payments are included in the regular benefit payments. DWP does not send out specific, stand-alone letters, so there is no extra cost incurred by the department. A manual Christmas Bonus payment may be made by exception. These are cases, which for a number of reasons, have fallen out of the scans that identify eligible claimants. In this scenario, a clerical payment is made and a separate letter is sent. This stand-alone letter, is a one-off communication. Associated costs are not held, however as volumes are very low.

Workplace Pensions: Females

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish guidance directed at women on how to prepare for retirement in order to help reduce the pension gender pay gap.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Automatic Enrolment has significantly increased the number of women saving towards a workplace pension. In 2012, 40 per cent of eligible women were participating in a workplace pension compared to 86 per cent in 2020. MoneyHelper, delivered by the Money and Pension Service (MaPS), provides guidance to people of all ages on all pension issues. This already covers many aspects that impact women’s pensions, including maternity leave, returning to work part-time and divorce. MoneyHelper has information and tools that allow people to understand what their retirement income may be. MaPS are looking at introducing improved tools that help people model the impact of their working patterns on their pensions and life event guidance. The aim is to help people engage with the decisions they should be considering at different life moments.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the animal welfare implications of the shortage of workers in the processed meat sector; and what steps they are taking to address this.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Farmers have reported an overstocking of pigs on farms because of staff shortages in processing plants. This has the potential to lead to welfare issues for pigs on farm, due to overcrowding. The Government has implemented a number of measures to address the backlog and to reduce any on-farm animal welfare implications. Defra is not aware of any animal welfare issues in other meat processing sectors due to a shortage of workers. The package of measures that Defra has provided to help to alleviate the backlog of pigs on farms and to ease potential welfare implications includes temporary work visas for up to 800 pork butchers and Private Storage Aid (PSA) and Slaughter Incentive Payment (SIP) schemes to facilitate an increase in the throughput of pigs through abattoirs. Furthermore, in England and Scotland, the two meat levy bodies, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Quality Meat Scotland, suspended the statutory levy for pig farmers and producers during November 2021. The Government will continue to monitor the evolving situation and is working closely with the industry through this challenging period.

Disposable Wipes: Plastics

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between sewage spills and the disposal of wet wipes containing plastic; and what advice they plan to give to companies to reduce the use of plastic wipes.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are committed to tackling the issues caused by wet wipes. On 20 November, we launched a call for evidence on commonly littered and problematic plastics, and this includes a chapter on wet wipes. Defra continues to encourage the water industry and wet wipe manufacturers to work together to raise consumer awareness about the appropriate disposal of wet wipes and other non-flushable products.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: Coronavirus

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all irregular migrants arriving in the UK are tested for COVID-19; what proportion of such migrants have had positive COVID-19 test results; and how many migrants have had to be admitted to hospital as a result of COVID-19 within a week of arrival in the last 10-week period.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All individuals arriving by small boats are tested by the Home Office for COVID-19 using a lateral flow test immediately on arrival. If the result is positive, they are immediately isolated along with any family members.Testing of migrants arriving in the UK by other irregular means may vary depending on who is the first responder. However, in line with recent updates to the Government’s Coronavirus regulations, new arrivals to Immigration removal centres and residential short-term holding facilities are tested on or by day 2 by PCR test. Within asylum accommodation, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office conduct day 2 and day 8 testing, which is administered and managed by our service provider staff on site.The Home Office does not routinely publish information on the proportion of migrants testing positive for COVID-19.

Immigration: Exploitation

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many grants of discretionary leave to remain have been made to victims of (1) human trafficking, and (2) modern slavery, with a positive conclusive grounds decision from the National Referral Mechanism in the last three financial years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s system for identifying and providing access to support for potential victims of modern slavery/human trafficking.The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which can be found at on gov.uk. The 2021 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery has recently been published and can also be found on gov.uk, as well as statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of discretionary leave. Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery/human trafficking are not currently published.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Regional Planning and Development

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a body to monitortheimpact of government policy on regional inequalities.

Lord Greenhalgh: Levelling up is about addressing inequalities between and within regions. The forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper will build on existing action we are already taking to address regional inequalities and set out a new policy regime to drive change for years to come.

Council Tax: 10 Downing Street and 11 Downing Street

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the band for council tax payable for the apartments occupied by (1) the Prime Minister, and (2) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Downing Street; and what are the council tax charges payable for each apartment.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Valuation Office Agency's "Check your council tax band" online service shows that there are two properties liable for council tax on Downing Street. Both properties are in band H. Council tax decisions are taken by local authorities, but information published by Westminster City Council shows that the band H charge for 2021-22 is £1655.12, including the precept for the Greater London Authority.

Islam: Discrimination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to appoint the second independent expert to consider the definition of Islamophobia.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government remains committed to stamping out anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious prejudice. It is unacceptable for anyone to feel unsafe while practicing their religion and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Muslim hatred.We will outline our next steps with the review on the Definition of Islamophobia in due course, following the publication of the forthcoming Hate Crime Strategy.

Supported Housing: Older People

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the commitments made inPeople at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper, published on 1 December, what steps they will take to ensure the planning system enables the growth of housing-based care options for older people.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government is committed to the provision of homes for older people, including those who require care and support.  As set out in our National Planning Policy Framework, local authorities should already assess the types of specialist housing needed for older and disabled people in their areas, and this should be reflected in their planning policies.We remain committed to working closely with a range of stakeholders to look at how we can further support the growth of a thriving older people’s housing sector. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals from the sector for a cross-Government taskforce.

Vagrancy Act 1824

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government is clear that no one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live and that is why it’s time to review the Vagrancy Act.Work is underway to look at this complex issue and it is important we carefully look at all options.The Government will update on our findings in due course.

Affordable Housing: Construction

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether 3D printing represents the future of sustainable and affordable house building.

Lord Greenhalgh: DLUHC shares the cross-Whitehall objective of increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC provides an important opportunity to improve the quality of new homes, deliver more energy efficient homes, reduce construction waste, improve productivity and address the shortage in construction skills.Between 2018 and 2020, the Department convened an MMC Working Group, chaired by industry expert Mark Farmer. The group developed an MMC framework, which defined 7 categories of MMC. Category 4 MMC includes "additive manufacturing," the industrial production name for 3D printing, a computer controlled process that creates three dimensional objects by depositing materials, usually in layers.We recognise the potential benefits of all types of MMC. Different types of MMC will better support different objectives. Our strategy is to encourage uptake of MMC across the board, ranging from traditional building site productivity improvements to the smaller offsite manufacturers all the way to the high-tech end of the market. In the Affordable Housing Programme (2021-26) we set a target that at least 25% of units delivered through Strategic Partnerships will use MMC.Our commitment to supporting modern methods of construction has been reconfirmed at the latest spending review, with further funding to be made available to support innovation in the housebuilding sector.

Cabinet Office

Ministers: Codes of Practice

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks made byLord True on 6 December (HL Deb, col 1640), what was the case that was determined relating to the operation of the Ministerial Code; which (1) ministers, and (2) officials, were involved; and what plans they have, if any, to place a copy of (a) a report by the independent advisor concerning the Transport Secretary's declaration of private interests, or (b) any other report, in the Library of the House.

Lord True: My answer to the noble Lord’s question on 6 December 2021 referred to recent correspondence from the Rt Hon Member for Ashton-under-Lyne, in connection with the Government's policies towards General Aviation. The Minister for Aviation's response to the Opposition is a matter of public record. The Independent Adviser, in relation to the question about the Secretary of State for Transport's interests, confirmed that he was content that the Transport Secretary had followed the process required under the Ministerial Code for the declaration of his private interests. It was this matter to which I was referring.

Treasury

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to restart the furlough scheme in case more COVID-19 restrictions are implemented.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Throughout the pandemic, the Government has demonstrated that it can respond proportionately to the changing path of the virus and will continue to do so. The Government remains committed to taking whatever action is necessary to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed but, as we have stated, more harmful economic and social restrictions would only be considered as a last resort. Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has a strong track record of responding quickly, flexibly, and comprehensively in supporting jobs, businesses, individuals, and families when needed. As part of our £400 billion package of support, businesses will continue to receive considerable support into Spring 2022, including Recovery Loans until June, business rates relief, protection from eviction, and a VAT reduction until March.

Debts: Developing Countries

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss a new debt relief programme at the G20 level, so that developing countries do not have to delay health and poverty reduction plans.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In 2020 the G20 and Paris Club agreed to the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) which has provided participating countries with fiscal space to respond to the pandemic, freeing up resources to fund social, health and economic measures. Preliminary estimates suggest the DSSI has suspended over $12.7 billion in debt service repayments. In addition, to deliver a longer-term, more sustainable approach to dealing with debt vulnerabilities the UK and its G20 partners are now focusing their attention on the Common Framework for Debt Treatments. Agreed in 2020, the Common Framework was a landmark achievement for the G20. It commits both new lenders and more traditional lenders in the Paris Club to coordinated debt treatments, including debt cancellation if required. This should pave the way for more equitable and effective case-by-case restructurings for low-income countries.

Debts

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increasing levels of debt in low-income families; and what steps they are taking to help such families manage their debt.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government regularly monitors trends in household debt levels in order to inform its policy making to help people manage their money well and access support if they need to get their finances back on track. It does so by working closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and engages regularly with a range of other stakeholders on their research and findings. The latest findings from the FCA’s biennial Financial Lives Survey were published in February 2021 and showed that between March and October 2020, the number of people with low financial resilience increased by 3.5 million, from 10.7 million to 14.2 million. MaPS monitors financial difficulty through the Debt Need Survey of approximately 22,000 people, with data on regional levels of over-indebtedness last published in 2018. MaPS will publish the results of the 2021 Debt Need Survey early next year. The Government is strongly committed to supporting the financial wellbeing of the most vulnerable in society, and to tackling problem debt. This is why the Government put in place an unprecedent package of support to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Government recognises that the full impact of the pandemic on people’s personal finances is still unfolding and that some require extra support at this challenging time. To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, the Government agreed to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-consumer debt advice in England in 2021-22, bringing this year’s debt advice budget for MaPS to £94.6 million. This is a more than 70% increase since 2019-20 to help more people who are struggling with their finances during the pandemic. In addition to this, the Breathing Space scheme launched in England and Wales, offering people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and encouraging them to seek professional debt advice. The Government has also changed the existing monetary eligibility limits for a Debt Relief Order in England and Wales; increasing the value of assets that a debtor can hold, the level of surplus income received and the total debt allowable. This will give more people with low levels of assets and low income who are in problem debt access to a suitable and proportionate solution.

Women and Equalities

Conversion Therapy: Gender Recognition

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proposals set out in their consultation document Banning conversion therapy, published on 29 October, whether the ban will apply to attempts made to change a person from being transgender to not being transgender.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: We want all LGBT people to be free to be themselves and remain committed to banning conversion therapy. The ban on conversion therapy will protect everyone and will apply to attempts to change a person to or from being transgender.Under our proposals, people who are transgender or are exploring their transgender status, including under 18s, will remain able to access the support they need from qualified health professionals without change. Parents and teachers will, of course, continue to be able to have conversations with young people or others about whether they are transgender or not. It is important that people are able to have open and explorative conversations that allow them to come to the right decision for themselves.We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure that our legislative interventions operate effectively.